Terms of Reference - Full Governing Body

The term of office of all categories of governor is 4 years (with the exception of the headteacher, who is an ex officio governor.)

Quorum

According to the School Governance (Roles Procedures and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013 - Part 4 meetings and proceedings of the governing body.

The quorum for a meeting of the governing body and any vote on any matter at such a meeting, is one half (rounded up to a whole number) of the membership of the governing body.

The membership of the governing body does not include vacant positions on the governing body.

Every question to be decided at a meeting of the governing body is to be determined by a majority of the votes of the governors present and voting on the questions.

Meetings

The governing body must hold at least three meetings in every school year. Other delegated committees will also hold at least one meeting per term.

Advice given by governors at this school is incidental to their professional expertise and is not being given in their professional capacity.

Terms

Conducting the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement.

Ensuring that the school operates within statutory safeguarding regulations.

Approving appropriate targets for pupil achievement.

Monitoring the school development plan. Monitoring and approving the school’s budget.

Monitoring the curriculum to ensure it is balanced and broadly based, and in particular that the International Primary Curriculum is taught, and receiving curriculum assessments and examination results.

Responsibility for appointment of the head and assistant head teachers and regulating staff conduct and discipline.

Drawing up an action plan after a statutory inspection in co-operation with the LA.

Terms of Reference - Curriculum Committee

Terms

To support the school’s improvement priorities with particular reference to:

Accelerating progress and attainment.

Quality of teaching and learning.

Progress of specific, identified groups.

To monitor the effectiveness of the school’s assessment and tracking systems and pupil achievement.

To observe and monitor evidence of the impact of interventions on pupils’ progress.

To appoint governors to monitor and support teaching and learning in the Early Years, Key Stage One and Key Stage Two.

To monitor and observe evidence of pupils’ access to a wider curriculum.

To advise the governing body on priorities and changes in the composition and delivery of the National Curriculum and to ensure that the school complies with any such changes.

To review and agree curriculum related policies annually within the current Primary Curriculum framework.

Terms of Reference - Buildings, Behaviour and Safety Committee

Terms

To maintain a strategic overview of behaviour and safety including:

children’s attitudes to learning and conduct in school

children’s behaviour and levels of respect for each other and adults, including freedom from all forms of bullying

teachers’ ability to manage behaviour and maintain expectations to ensure equal opportunities to learn in an atmosphere of respect and dignity

children’s own ability to assess and manage risk and keep themselves safe

the ability of the whole school to ensure systematic and consistent management of behaviour.

To receive and discuss a termly behaviour overview and review the steps being taken to address any issues.

To receive and discuss a termly overview of attendance and punctuality, and review the steps being taken to address any issues.

To review safeguarding, safety and behaviour policies most relevant to current school priorities as outlined in the school development plan.

To monitor health, safety and safeguarding issues relating to site construction, ensuring that contractors have met the required vetting procedures.

To receive an annual safeguarding audit and ensure compliance with it.

To monitor the school’s duty as determined in the ‘Prevent’ guidance and documentation.

To monitor all aspects of children’s e-safety.

To monitor the needs of looked after children and the support that the school must provide.

To oversee arrangements for repairs and maintenance, taking into account the local authority’s asset management plan and the governing body’s liabilities.

To monitor the condition of the school’s premises and report to the local authority any issues within the asset management plan which are the local authority’s liability.

To make recommendations to the finance, pay and personnel committee on premises-related expenditure.

To oversee premises-related funding bids, in consultation with head teacher and the finance, pay and personnel committee.

To oversee arrangements, including health and safety, for the use of school premises by outside users, subject to governing body policy.

To prepare a summary of the school’s policies regarding security and any reviews or action taken to improve the security arrangements for staff and children.

To establish and keep under review a building development plan.

To carry out an annual health and safety review.

To establish and keep under review an accessibility plan.

To promote all reasonable efforts to ensure that school premises support healthy lifestyles.

Quorum

A minimum of three committee members.

Terms of Reference - Finance, Pay and Personnel Committee

Purpose statement

To ensure that the school is a professional learning community with strategic plans in place to allow every pupil to develop as a learner and achieve the very best they can, within the school budget, and to ensure that decisions regarding finance, pay and personnel contribute to the achievement of the school's current priorities for development, and which are listed by the school development plan.

In particular, the committee will focus on:

To ensure Pupil Premium is applied to increase attainment and accelerate progress, particularly in mathematics.

Monitor the impact of sports premium.

Ensure performance related pay is robust and implemented effectively.

In relation to the above priorities, the committee will hold termly meetings to:

Monitor the impact of the school's financial and personnel decisions on pupil progress and attainment.

Receive and discuss a report from the head teacher on the quality of teaching in the school and monitor the impact of professional development on teaching staff, including appropriate evidence from appraisal and capability procedures.

Support and challenge the school's capacity to sustain improvement and monitor the impact of professional development on leadership staff.

Governors will ensure that meeting agendas address current school priorities and the progress towards success criteria, and that meeting minutes and governor visit reports record the level of challenge, key discussions held and identified action points.

Further terms of reference

Finance

To review and agree financial policies and procedures in accordance with school priorities and local and national changes, and to oversee their implementation.

To consider the school's ongoing school development plan and self-evaluation, as relating to financial matters, and to oversee the longer-term strategic planning of the school's finances.

To oversee budget setting, and to receive and discuss a report from the head teacher and bursar at each committee meeting on the school's income and expenditure, showing variances from the budget estimates.

To present a financial report to the governing body at least once a term (in the form of minutes from committee meetings) and to recommend the final budget for approval to the full governing body.

To review annually the best value statement and its focus, and to oversee the school's arrangements for obtaining quotations and tenders in accordance with the statement.

To ensure statutory audit procedures are carried out.

To authorise all write-offs and disposals of surplus stock and equipment above a value of £500.

To authorise all budget spend on single purchases above £5,000.

To authorise all movement of funds exceeding £5,000 from one budget heading to another.

To respond to financial consultations issued by the local authority on behalf of the governing body.

To agree the school's submission for Schools Financial Value Standard.

To monitor aspects of the school budget that are affected by the South Isleworth Children's Centre and ensure that there are no negative implications.

To make decisions in respect of service agreements and contracts.

To determine whether sufficient funds are available for pay increments.

Pay

To review and agree a whole school pay policy in accordance with school priorities and local and national changes, and to oversee its circulation and implementation.

To use delegated powers to consider and decide all matters concerning pay within the pay policy and to be accountable for those decisions.

To review the school's unit totals and group size for organisational and salary purposes in accordance with STPCD.

To ensure annual pay reviews are held for all staff, and that these are in line with the school's teacher appraisal and capability policy.

To make decisions on leadership pay on behalf of the whole governing body.

To report all decisions on pay to the governing body.

To ensure that detailed records are kept of all matters and minutes relating to pay and that these are stored securely to maintain confidentiality.

To monitor expenditure against the salaries budget.

To identify the criteria for progress up the pay spine and for withholding progress, and award of discretionary allowances (e.g. management allowances).

To provide each member of the teaching staff with a written statement confirming his/her salary with effect from 1st September each year and at any other time when a decision on pay is made in respect of a particular teacher.

Personnel

To review personnel matters relating to the school and to agree relevant personnel policy and procedures.

To ensure each member of staff has a clear job description and an annual appraisal.

To ensure that all staff have appropriate opportunities for professional development, in line with their personal goals and school priorities.

To ensure that the school complies with any changes in legislation concerning the workforce.